Disney+ has recently premiered new series about the twisted world of Asian gambling – Big Bet. The Korean TV show, directed by Kang Yoo-sung, follows the story of Cha Mu-sik – a man who enters the intertwined world of Philippine casinos and gets involved in a series of shocking and often illegal events. In 16 episodes, the viewers can see every kind of crime – illicit gambling, murders, gangs, and more.
However, as seen from the hottest gambling news, the fictional series is not so far away from the grim reality. Only in 2022, the media outlets reported hundreds of appalling legal cases, corruption scandals, police investigations, and illegal gambling rings that all took place in Asian countries. As seen from this news, corruption, and illicit and sometimes even deadly activities took place in such countries as Thailand, Malaysia, India, and the Philippines. As these countries have weak political systems and high corruption rates, they top the charts when it comes to illegal gambling. Some Asian regions with stronger leadership systems like China, Macau, and Singapore, however, also have cases of illicit activities. They, however, try to curb non-licensed gambling but not always successfully.
While the Asian continent is one of the most promising and, at the same time, unhinged regions when it comes to gambling. Despite many restrictions, people of the East love to gamble and often bring it to an extreme level. The GBC Time team has closely monitored the most scandalous gambling news in Asia and picked the most interesting cases for you to read.
In this article, we have tried to create a series of our own. We took a look at some of the most common cases, including:
- Job scams;
- Illegal gambling gangs;
- Human trafficking;
- Money laundering;
- Corruption.
The legal situation in Asia
Asia is a very promising region for online gambling businesses. The tradition of playing games of chance is a longstanding one there. What is more, Asians account for over 60% of the total population of the world. So, many gambling operators cater to the needs of Asian gamblers.
At the same time, Asia is a still developing gambling region as the legal landscape is very uneven. Some countries allow land-based gambling in strictly touristic locations like integrated resorts of Macao, South Korea, Cambodia, Malaysia, etc. Some
| Country | Legal situation |
| China | All gambling is illegal except for two state-owned lotteries – Welfare and Sports Lotteries. Locals, nonetheless often gamble with cryptocurrency. |
| Hong Kong | Casino gambling on cruise ships (outside of the territorial waters of the island. Betting is under the monopoly of the Hong Kong Jockey Club |
| Macau | Only land-based gambling is allowed in casino resorts. |
| Thailand | Currently, all forms of gambling are banned since 1935. The government, however, is currently discussing changing the legal status of games of chance. |
| The Philippines | Both land-based and online gambling is legal and regulated by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation & Cagayan Economic Zone Authority |
| Japan | The country allows betting on horse racing and motor racing. Players, however, are not prosecuted for gambling offshore. In 2018, the country started legalizing casinos at integrated resorts. |
| Vietnam | The only permitted forms of gambling include football, horse racing, and greyhound racing betting. Offline casinos are open only to non-Vietnamese players. Recently, the government began letting in casinos Vietnamese who earn over $440/month. |
| Malaysia | Brick-and-mortar casinos are open for foreign players, while locals are banned from all forms of gambling. Players, however, are not criminally prosecuted. |
| Cambodia | Government hands out concessions to land-based casinos, in which only foreigners are allowed. Online gambling is banned since 2020. |
| South Korea | Online gambling is fully banned. Moreover, Koreans are punished with fines and even prison sentences for engaging in illicit gambling. Locals are only allowed in one land-based casino establishment, while foreigners can gamble in multiple terrestrial establishments. |
| Singapore | Online gambling is limited to lottery and horse racing and sports betting, provided by two publicly-owned ops – Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club. Land-based casinos are permitted at integrated resorts. |
| India | Gambling regulations vary from state to state. Land-based casinos are permitted in Goa, Sikkim, Daman and Diu. Sikkim also allows online lottery. |
| Indonesia | A blanket ban on all forms of gambling |
Biggest illegal gambling cases
Thai police confiscate $12 million from online betting gang
In September 2022, Thailand police has conducted a number of investigations, confiscating over $12 million from what appeared to be an illegal gambling syndicate. The police raided over 50 locations in 10 Thai provinces and found more than 40 suspects in the case.
Turns out, the illegal gambling gang was offering betting services online across three automated platforms, which covered over 50k users.
700 Malaysians held captive in Laos after responding to a casino job ad
In October 2022, the whole of Asia was shocked to find out that an estimated 700 people from Malaysia were held hostage in Bokeo province in Laos. According to the local news outlets, the captive Malaysians responded to a job listing that offered to work at a Chinese casino resort. Now, roughly 700 people are trapped inside the resort and the managers of the venue are demanding a ransom of RM50k – RM100k ($11.56k – $23.11k).
At the hotel, Malaysians are working as online scammers. What is more, there have been rumors of managers abusing the hostages. Namely, the captors were reported to beat up and torture the “workers” in cases of incompliance. Some women were even forced to go into prostitution.
An unnamed Laotian claimed that there are many instances like this happening in the country’s special economic zone, which is also known as Laos’ gambling hub. The source states that there are a lot of illegal workers from Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. The captors usually confiscate the passports and phones of the hostages so they would have no means to escape.
The Malaysian Humanitarian Organization, Community Crime Care, and Malaysian Consumers Association have reported the case and are working on it.
Corruption scandals
Malaysian premier claims gambling money was used in part for elections
In December 2022, Malaysia was once again in the spotlight. This time, the country’s Premier Minister Anwar Ibrahim claimed that money from gambling companies was in part used to fund elections in the Southeast country. Ibrahim stated that all parties, no matter Islamic or Malay, were funding their election campaigns with money that came from the gambling industry.
The Premier has also addressed the issues of kleptocracy and corruption in Malaysia, stating that he is determined to reform the system in the country.
Indonesian governor blows $39 on gambling
The Anti-Money Laundering agency of Indonesia reports that the governor of the Papua province, Lukas Enembe, spent over $39 million on casino games. Enmbe, who has been suspected of corruption previously, made numerous transactions to offshore casinos in the past five years – since 2017. One of the payments was worth S$5 million ($3.8 million).
The governor’s lavish spending was reported to the Corruption Eradication Commission. The governor denies all the allegations.
Actions that are taken by the authorities
China takes down illegal gambling gang that laundered $6 billion in crypto
When it comes to large gambling scams, China is sure to take the first place. In September 2022, the Chinese police uncovered an illegal gambling ring in Hunan province. Although the communist country outlaws all forms of gambling except for the lottery, the gang managed to launder $5.6 billion through crypto. The ring ran a gambling network and telecom scams using digital currency.
In the course of the investigation, the police arrested 93 people all over the country and froze $41.4 billion in their accounts. The authorities were able to recover $1.07 million and will send those funds to the victims of the scams.
Illegal Chinese gambling ring grosses $29 billion over 8 years
In September 2022, Chinese authorities arrested 9 people in Hunah province for running an illegal gambling network. The gambling establishments were aimed at Chinese customers and generated nearly $29 billion (CNY197.8 billion) in eight years of its operation – since 2014.
The Hunan authorities describe the case as cross-border as the criminals were also operating land-based casinos in Myanmar. At the same time, the gambling ring was offering proxy bets and online gambling games to over 253 000 players from mainland China.
The court sentenced the suspects to a prison sentence – from 18 months to 5 years.
The Philippines depot 40k Chinese workers closing 175 gambling firms
The other Southeast country that takes active enforcement action is the Philippines. Just in September 2022, the local authorities shut down 175 offshore gambling companies. Reuters also reports that officials deported over 40 000 Chinese people working at these firms.
After the liberalization of the gambling niche in 2016, the Philippines has become a go-to destination for Chinese players who cannot gamble in their own country. So, Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGOs) have become quite popular there. At its peak, there were over 300 000 Chinese people employed at these companies.
According to the Philippines justice ministry representative, Jose Dominic Clavano, the numerous reports of crimes caused the government clamps down on POGOs. Namely, there were cases of murders, kidnappings, and other criminal activities performed by Chinese persons.
Kidnappings in Chinese virtual casinos urge Philippine authorities to take action
In even more appalling news, the Philippine government is considering an outright ban on online casinos. Such a harsh decision is, once again, induced by the crime reports lined on the Chinese market. The online gambling market often makes the news headlines in the worst of ways. There have been numerous reports of kidnappings, money laundering, extortion, and even murder.
According to the Philippine police, 15 out of 27 kidnapping cases in the country that occurred from January to September 2022 were linked to the gambling niche. What is more, there are thousands of Chinese citizens working illegally for POGOs.
Cambodia enforces crackdown on illegal gambling after human trafficking reports
At the same time, Cambodian authorities combat illicit gambling activities in the country, with police raiding premises.
In September 2022, the country’s prime minister Hun Sen ordered a total crackdown on all forms of illegal games of chance. The statement was triggered by reports of human trafficking connected to the gambling industry.
After the police took action, over 150 foreigners were arrested for illegal casino activities. Namely, the law officers arrested 72 Chinese people in the Khandal province while a group of 82 Indonesians was caught in the Koh Kong region. And in the capital city of Phnom Pen, the Municipal Police arrested 115 people linked to 63 gambling crimes.
What is more, the authorities suspect 10 000 gambling establishments in illicit activities. Police, however, were able to take enforcement action only against 127 of them. The authorities will also send to court 273 people, including 56 foreigners.
Cambodian casino workers escape “casino slavery” and flee to Vietnam
In mid-September, a group of 42 illegal casino workers fled to Vietnam, swimming across the river to escape. According to the Khmer Times, the foreigners ran away from the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino in Koh Tom District of Kandal Province.
Before breaking free, the escapees fought muscular Chinese guards who were first taken by surprise but quickly took a hold of themselves. The wardens were chasing poor workers with an iron rod, while the fugitives were jumping in the river, trying to cross the Cambodia-Vietnamese border. One unlucky worker was caught, while the others swam toward freedom. In a tragic turn of events, a 16-year-old boy was swept away by the water. The video of the escape went viral on social media.
The Cambodian Minister of Interior told the press that these Vietnamese were promised high salaries at a casino but didn’t get what they were agreeing upon. The workers expected an $800 pay but received just $500-$400 per month. There were also forced to work 14-hour shifts without any breaks. And that is not all, the Vietnamese were also supposed to pay up to $30k to casinos to return home. Some of the ex-workers have described the conditions as hellish.
The ex-casino workers also revealed that they were part of a larger human trafficking scheme where over 2 000 Vietnamese were smuggled to Cambodia to work without passports or work visas.
What is more, the police arrested a Chinese-nationality casino manager who admitted to forcing workers to do the job against their will. At the same time, he claimed that the workers owed the casino money.
Human trafficking and job scams have been huge problems in Cambodia lately, along with many other Southeastern countries.
Teen faces charges for Vietnamese human trafficking
There is not all the news from Cambodia. According to local news outlets, human trafficking between Vietnam and Cambodia continues. In June 2022, a 19-year-old Vietnamese boy was caught smuggling 4 of his fellow citizens to a casino he was working in. The teen was paid $650 for each worker.
While the Vietnamese were promised high-paying jobs and easy money. Instead, all they got was cyber fraud jobs and physical abuse. There is still no information on whether the captives were released.
Murder is uncovered at Cambodia’s casino
The crime scene in Cambodia seems to be getting even darker, as the reports of a murder at a local casino circle the web. A 38-year-old Chinese man was killed at Moc Bai Casino in July 2022. A mere $3 000 debt led to Gong Jiangyong’s untimely demise. The Chinese were killed by the local supplier Zhu Jun Sheng.
While the case was gruesome, the local police chief denied providing any comments and the head of police of the city stated that there was no such case at all.
The Cambodian media outlets, however, have previously reported crimes happening at the casino. At one time, the casino owners held 13 Vietnamese detained at the premises due to their debts. And one of the staff members was found dead from fainting.
Thai police seized $1.4 million in gambling network raid
The Bangkok Post reports that in August 2022, Thai police cracked a large case, uncovering an online betting network. The authorities also confiscated ฿46 million (about $1.4 million) in cash and other assets.
The police arrested six people – 5 women and 1 man – after a raid on a house in Bangkok. The gang was running an online betting website – 888Point. The members of the gambling ring offered games of chance in several Thai provinces:
- Chiang Rai;
- Udon Thani;
- Suphan Buri;
- Bangkok;
- Songkhla;
- Narathiwat.
Thai authorities charged the suspects with money laundering and colluding in gambling operations.
$30.3 million more confiscated from illegal gambling gangs in Thailand
Four months after the police raid, Thai authorities have unmasked an even larger online gambling network, impounding ฿1 billion (about $30.3 million) in assets.
As The Bangkok post states, the police discovered an illegal gambling network that had been running for 3 years with ฿3 billion transactions over the years. The forces raided five condominiums in Bangkok and Chiang Rai. The officers confiscated assets in cash, luxurious cars, and 39 luxury watches like Rolex, Richard Mille, and Audemars Piguet.
South Korea busts intricate online gambling scheme for $92.12 million
In August 2022, the police of South Korea uncovered an intricate illegal gambling scheme that has been offering online gambling services to foreigners. The authorities captured 17 people but managed to arrest only 11 of them.
The organized group has been catering to the online gambling needs of foreigners since 2018. The leader of the gang was a Thai person who lived in South Korea on a visa. The group ran 4 gambling websites with over 7 300 people working for the company across different provinces. To access the websites, one would need special access, so the operations went unnoticed for 4 years. During this time, the organization managed to collect SKW120 billion ($92.12 million) in winnings. The police, however, suspect that the sum is much larger given the scope of operations.
Young officials involved in football gambling in China
Although gambling is banned in mainland China, local officials routinely сrack cases lined to games of chance. Last Autumn, a Chinese disciplinary agency found out that some young CPC officials took part in illegal football gambling. Four people born in the 1980s and some even in the 1990s were caught participating and even organizing gambling games online:
- Chen Ke, a policeman from Nanning, received 28 months in prison and a ¥150k fine for bribing and gambling. He started betting on sports in 2014 during the World Cup;
- Zhong Yaozhen, who had over ¥20 million in debt due to his gambling habit;
- Zhang Yu, a local official from the Yunnan province was expelled from the party with his debt reaching ¥190k;
- Li Gaofeng, who was sentenced to 38 months in prison and a ¥160k fine for organizing online casino games.
Conclusion
As can be seen from this article, Asia is a very promising territory in terms of gambling. People all over the continent go to shocking extremes to participate in or organize games of chance. With such a strong demand for iGaming and strict regulations in multiple countries, it is no wonder that this region is famous for its gambling-related crimes. Follow GBC Time for more appalling stories from the gambling world.
